The Hindu : AIDS awareness may be made mandatory for driving licence

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 15, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

AIDS awareness may be made mandatory for driving licence

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, FEB. 14 . The State Government is considering making awareness of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)/Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) mandatory among those seeking driving licence, according to the Transport Minister, R. Viswanthan.

He was speaking after launching "En Vazhkkai En Kaiyil" (My Life My Choice), a project aimed at training and creating AIDS awareness among those seeking driving licence in Madurai district today.

Mr. Viswanathan said the outcome of the pilot project would be utilised to make necessary changes in the Government's policy on the issue of driving licence.

The Collector, B. Chandra Mohan, said the project, to be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs. 13 lakhs, would make the two Regional Transport Offices (RTO) in the district a nodal office for training and creating an awareness among 50,000 persons a year.

The Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society, the AIDS Prevention and Control project, the Transport department and the RTO would jointly implement it.

A 42-page booklet on traffic signs and regulations, the Motor Vehicle Act, the physical and mental health of drivers, nutritious food and AIDS/HIV awareness would be distributed.

A counselling session on the spread of HIV/AIDS and a multimedia screening would form part of the programme. The innovative programme, which would help to reach the target population at a comparatively cheaper cost, was the first of its kind in the country, Dr. Chandra Mohan said.

The Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society, Project Director, K. Deenabandu, said the State was a pioneer in the AIDS control programmes, and the rate of mother-to-child AIDS transmission had come down from 1.6 per cent in 1996 to 0.75 per cent this year.

Stating that high awareness of AIDS alone was not enough to fight the disease, he stressed the need for an in-depth knowledge among the people to bring about a behavioural change. He urged the drivers, transporting goods for hundreds of km, should safeguard their health from such deadly infection.

The Minister also launched the Madurai Health Foundation.

An autonomous body, the he Foundation would help to improve the medical infrastructure and the quality of healthcare.

The Collector will head the 20-member body, and the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) Dean will be the member-secretary.

The GRH Dean, K. Bose, said the aim was to tie up with other hospitals to implement scientific methods for disposal of hospital waste and training medical officers and paramedical staff.

The Inspector General of Police (South Zone), T. K. Rajendran, the Commissioner of Police, Vijay Kumar, the Superintendent of Police, Madurai Rural, Avi Prakash Sinha, and the MLAs, Valarmathi Jebaraj, V. K. Rajangam and P. Ponnambalam, spoke.

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